This invention relates to foundry apparatus and more particularly to apparatus for shaking sand-cores out of metal castings. Such cores are typically removed by imparting sufficient vibration to the casting to disintegrate the core and shake the loose sand from the internal intricacies of the casting. Chipping hammers, or the like, have been particularly effective for this purpose, and involves nothing more than clamping the casting to the tool end of the hammer and rapidly striking the other end of the tool with a reciprocating piston-like hammer. One of the disadvantages of using such tools, however, is the noise that it generates. Accordingly, a variety of sound cabinets have been developed for reducing this noise during the shaking out operation. Use of such cabinets, however, has dramatically slowed down the rate at which castings can be decored, primarily as a result of the lost motion required by the operator in just opening and closing the cabinets alone.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a high production rate apparatus for shaking out sand-cores at relatively comfortable noise levels of less than about 90 dBA and with a minimum of lost operator motion. This and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the detailed description thereof which follows.